What Are Words
by Seito
Summary: Never in a billion years would Tsuna ever considered that Reborn was shy. Alternatively: All the words Reborn said (and didn't say) that Tsuna wasn't meant to hear. (Except Tsuna heard them all.) R27


Tumblr Request: R27 and things you said that I wasn't meant to hear

This was so much fun to write.

* * *

In the end, it was hard to actually define Tsuna's relationship with Reborn. It was dating, love. It was friendship, care. It was loyalty, faith. There were too many different labels that could be applied; nothing that could sum them up in a neat little bow.

That, Tsuna blamed Reborn for. Tsuna, despite whatever people say, was a simple person. His reasoning, his passions, at their core were simple. Reborn, on the other hand, was highly complex, a walking contradiction of too much, too little. For all the words Reborn said, he never spoke the ones Tsuna wanted to hear the most. For all the flamboyant and chaotic fanfare, Reborn was very private, revealing nothing close to his heart.

There hadn't been a confession of love, so much as Tsuna waking up one day in Reborn's arms to the distinct realization that they had been dating for last four months. (It certainly explained why people kept asking him if Reborn was treating him right lately. Tsuna thought they were over a decade too late to be asking that question. That should have been asked the minute a certain gun toting baby hitman walked into his life. Not that Tsuna regretted any of it.)

Confronting Reborn about it had merely gotten Tsuna an eye roll and a dry request to "Keep up Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna huffed at that and kicked Reborn out of bed. If the next day, he found a cup of tea waiting for him when he woke up, it was how Reborn apologized.

Despite all the rumors of the romantic lover that Reborn was, when it came to their relationship, Tsuna saw nothing even remotely similar to the overdone grand gestures he had heard about. In fact, Tsuna was often the one initiating the dates, the kisses, and hand holding.

It was odd, but their relationship worked. Reborn didn't say things like 'I love you' and was even tentative in his affections. Tsuna understood. He may not know everything about Reborn's past, but growing up in the shadow of the mafia did him no favors. Tsuna took it as a sign that the fact that Reborn wasn't breaking out with red roses everywhere and over the top confession of how serious Reborn was about their relationship.

Never in a billion years would Tsuna ever considered that Reborn was shy.

* * *

Tsuna was half asleep when he felt Reborn slip into bed with him. He was too tired to move, to greet Reborn, so he didn't say anything. Tsuna was just on the cusp of dreamland when he heard the quiet words pressed into the back of his neck.

"I love you."

By the time morning came, it had slipped away like forgotten dream.

* * *

It was late spring when a flower arrangement of iris and lavender was delivered to Tsuna's office.

Hayato eyed it suspiciously. He couldn't pinpoint any reason for why a flower arrangement was delivered today. There nothing remarkable about today. No holiday, no birthday or other celebration he could think of.

"Leave it Hayato," Tsuna said softly, stroking the single forget-me-not hidden in the display.

Today was the anniversary that Reborn swore loyalty to Tsuna and to Tsuna alone.

* * *

Tsuna drifted in and out of conscious. The entire world felt distant and faded, as if he was wrapped in cotton. He caught snippets of words, worried voices and crying. Dimly, he wondered what had happened.

Pain, blood, spinning darkness.

Ah, he had been shot? Maybe. It was hard to think.

"Please, Tsuna."

That sounded like Reborn, only _not_ because Tsuna had never heard that tone of… pleading before. He felt a hand wrapped around his, pulsing with familiar Flames. Definitely Reborn then.

"I can't lose you."

Tsuna managed to squeeze his hand and felt delight when Reborn squeezed back.

* * *

Tsuna had been passing by when he had heard Reborn and Colonnello talking.

"-amusing to watch you fall head over heels for Tsuna."

"Shut up. I can't believe I'm coming to you for advice."

"Who is the one married between the two of us?"

"You're right. I should go ask Lal. Anything you're going to suggest is going to be ridiculously over the top."

"I can't believe Tsuna turned you shy!"

Gunshots rang. "It was pointless to ask you."

Tsuna darted down the hall before Reborn left the room with a wide smile on his face.

* * *

The weight of a blanket being placed over him was what roused Tsuna from his slumber. What was he… oh right. Paperwork, the treaty signing and the celebration party were coming up. Tsuna had been working on it for weeks, revising and planning so that everything would go perfectly. Coordination of the food, the security was going to be a nightmare, even the wording of treaty had been refined and combed through, all loopholes noted and closed, nothing that could be used against Vongola. It still wasn't enough. There were so many things left to do and the signing was supposed to happen in two days. Shit, Reborn was going to kill him for falling behind.

Tsuna jolted awake, blinking blearily. To his surprise, Reborn was standing next to him, no Leon Mallet in sight. Instead, Reborn handed him a pillow. "Sleep Tsuna," he instructed.

"But," Tsuna protested tiredly. This treaty was so important.

"Sleep," Reborn said firmly.

Tsuna would have protested further, but he was so exhausted. Maybe a few more minutes wouldn't hurt and clearly Reborn didn't mind, if he was demanding that Tsuna sleep.

Head dropping down on to the pillow Reborn had provided, Tsuna headed back into dreamland. He didn't miss the quiet words from Reborn either.

"I taught you how take responsibility for the things you do. Don't you think it's time you learn how to rely on others, Dame-Tsuna?"

* * *

Tsuna stumbled into their bedroom. On the couch by the window, Reborn laid, tie undone and fedora and jacket tossed to the side.

Today had been a nightmare. An attack from an enemy famiglia that got a little too close. Both Fon and I-pin had gotten caught in the attack, a bomb that was meant for Tsuna, but his little sister had skipped ahead, dragging along her teacher, triggering the attack before Tsuna had gotten there.

Both were fine, recovering in the infirmary with Shamal. Fon had managed to deflect most of the attack, but there were still injuries. To make matters worse, the bomb that nearly took out I-pin and Fon wasn't the only one. Lambo and Gokudera also had a close call, so did Colonnello and Lal with their new baby daughter.

It was one thing to attack Tsuna's family. It was another to attack the children in his family. (And no matter how old they got, Lambo and I-pin would always be his younger siblings). He had no qualms in letting both Hibari and Mukuro do their worse.

Tsuna collapsed on the couch with Reborn, resting his head on Reborn's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. There were too many close calls today and while no one was seriously injured, the idea of how easy they had slipped through their security had shaken everyone.

In fact, it had happened smoothly enough that Tsuna feared he was going to have to clean house. Betrayal and blood, wasn't he supposed to be cleaning up Vongola from situations like this?

"Tsuna."

Tsuna closed his eyes and grounded himself against Reborn's solid presence. "I know," he said softly. "A mole, several probably."

Tired or not, he needed to go back out and find said mole before they escaped. Regretfully, he pulled away from Reborn.

Reborn sat up, fixed his tie and reached for his jacket.

Tsuna blinked. "You don't have to come with me if you want to rest Reborn," Tsuna said. He knew that Reborn was tired. Now that he thought about it, the fact that Tsuna had found him in such a state upon arriving to their bedroom spoke of the exhaustion that Reborn felt.

Reborn placed his fedora back on his head. "Dame-Tsuna, your Guardians are busy and after that attack if you're thinking you're going anywhere by yourself, I will throw you back into remedial training."

Tsuna smiled, hearing what Reborn wasn't saying.

' _I'm here for you.'_

* * *

It was a warm summer day when it finally happened.

Tsuna laid down on the grass, petting Leon; a rare day off from his busy workload. Natsu bounded out of the bushes, chasing after butterflies. It was certainly peaceful enough.

A dark shadow fell over Tsuna. He looked up to see Reborn standing over him.

"Reborn!" Tsuna said, beaming. "Welcome back!" Reborn had been away for the last two days on a mission. Tsuna had been tasked with watching Leon while he was away.

With the corners of his mouth twitching upward into a small smile, Reborn took a seat on the grass. Tsuna adjusted his position, resting his head on Reborn's lap. He ignored the minute hesitation before Reborn threaded his fingers through Tsuna's soft locks. Even after three years of dating, there were still things Reborn shied away from. Tsuna knew better than to push.

"I love you," Reborn said.

Tsuna blinked, surprised to hear Reborn vocalize the words when Tsuna was actually wide awake to hear them. The surprise quickly faded, replaced by the swell of happiness. "I love you too."

He thought about the black velvet box that he had hidden in their bedroom. The gold ring he had picked out while Reborn had been gone for the last two days.

The future was looking bright.

* * *

According to Japanese Flower Language, Iris is Loyalty, Lavender is Faithful and Forget-Me-Nots is True Love.

I... really like the idea of Tsuna being the one who goes around initiating everything. Like I always write Reborn being the impromptu one, it was nice to have Reborn being the one who hesitates and Tsuna who was waiting, pushing Reborn along slowly.


End file.
